Positive Change
by Cookies and Ink
Summary: The day kept repeating. Then, something new happened. [Soulmate AU] [Groundhog Day AU]


**A/N:** Written for August 2018's Romance Awareness. Day 12 - Groundhog day soulmates - If you haven't met your soulmate but have been in the same vicinity of each other (like passing each other on a street or in the same building), that day will keep repeating until you find each other.

All other prompts and challenges are listed below.

Word Count: 1,392

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 **Positive Change**

Ginny opened her eyes and listened. In two seconds, she knew that three Ravenclaw girls in their final year would walk past the carriage she was sat in, talking about summer internships.

Five seconds after that and a boy's Mum would remind him to brush his cat.

Ten minutes before the Hogwarts Express would leave the station, a boy would jump onto the train, talking about ways to get girls to talk to you.

"Lead with a pickup line like, 'I'm not a very good kisser, but I'll be willing to practice techniques with you."

His friends would all laugh.

This was the twenty-third time she'd lived that day. Sometimes she decided to sit in her carriage, bored and waiting for the day to end so she could start it all over again. In the beginning, she had been frantic. Any attempt to tell her brothers or someone else what was happening made her fall unconscious, and then she'd wake up back at the beginning.

"What about Gringotts? Their apprenticeship starts in July, about a week after our last day of school."

"I couldn't do that! I can barely handle transfiguration, never mind actual Gobbledegook."

Ginny stood up, went to the door and poked her head out.

"My brother Bill's a curse breaker employed by Gringotts, he doesn't speak Gobbledegook, they don't require it."

The girls all looked surprised, as Ginny had known they would. She rushed through an explanation, feeling as though she were an actress delivering lines. In the end, the girl smiled, wished her luck at the sorting and said she might Owl Bill.

For the past ten times, Ginny had always helped her and today she decided she'd help as many other people as she could. Maybe this day, something would break the pattern.

Ginny had read through all of her first-year books and then asked Ron to borrow his. At first, Ron had told her to go away and make friends, but after the third time, Ginny had learnt that if she appealed to Hermione, the older Gryffindor would light up and help her research.

Nothing so far had given her any sort of clue as to why she was stuck in a time loop.

In a lot of ways, Ginny realised it was good. She knew a lot of the other students now. She had been so nervous to go to Hogwarts, it would be the first time she'd ever slept a night away from home. Now she understood the camaraderie. All the other people didn't know her, but Ginny felt like she'd found another family in the loud Gryffindors, the Quidditch team Fred and George hung out with, or the quiet Ravenclaws her friend Luna had gravitated too.

The Hogwarts Express gave a piercing whistle as it left King's Cross Station in a cloud of steam and smoke. Ginny closed the compartment door firmly behind her and began the day, once again.

It passed slowly. All the things she'd known would happen, did, which is why her ears pricked up when something crashed in the luggage compartment.

That was new. New didn't happen.

She crept forward, reaching for the wand in her pocket.

"What if we get off the train?"

"Be careful Blaise. Soul magic is dangerous. I know you want to break the spell but there's got to be a reason we're trapped."

The boys were dressed in their robes already. Ginny watched curiously as they tried to lift a trunk up which had fallen.

"Do you want a hand?" she offered finally, her heart pounding. Maybe it was a coincidence but the idea of wanting to break a spell felt all too familiar. They both turned, one of the boys letting go of the trunk. It fell down leaving the one still trying to carry it to yelp in surprise.

"Theo you twit!"

"Sorry, are you okay?"

Ginny rushed over as Theo looked in some panic at Blaise. Blaise just nodded, giving Ginny a long look.

"What're you doing here?"

"Just exploring," Ginny said with a shrug and then she decided to try and say something. Weighing up her options, it felt like a win-win situation. If they knew something, maybe they could help and if they didn't, she'd just wake up and it would be the morning all over again. Maybe then she could eavesdrop on them for longer or work out what they were trying to do.

"I keep repeating today and I heard something bang which was interesting and different, so I came to investigate."

She waited, waited for the darkness to come over her. Any second now, she would open her eyes and be back, lying in an empty compartment, waiting for the three Ravenclaw girls to walk past.

There was a long moment of silence and abruptly Ginny realised that she hadn't fallen asleep. She'd been so sure that it wouldn't work, already planning on how to do the day differently when it repeated, that she had barely considered any sort of alternative. Both Blaise and Theo stared at her, Theo's mouth open slightly.

"A girl? Three of us? You, me, and a girl?" he spluttered, cheeks tinged pink.

Ginny crossed her arms over her chest automatically, resenting any hint that they were about to treat her differently because she was a girl. As horrified as Theo seemed, Blaise merely blinked and then extended his hand.

"Hello, I'm Blaise Zabini. You've been stuck in this loop, the day repeating itself as well?"

The three of them looked at each other, waiting for something to happen and when it didn't, Ginny uncrossed her arms and shook Blaise's hand.

"Yes! I'm Ginny, and do you know what's going on? Any other time I tried to talk about it -"

"You fell asleep and the day started again," Blaise nodded.

"THREE OF US AND A GIRL! Merlin's beard this is… something's wrong with this."

They both ignored Theo who ran a hand through his hair. Blaise looked a little flustered as he bit his lip.

"You don't know why we're stuck like this? About the magic?"

Ginny shook her head and Theo scoffed.

"You're not stupid, are you? It's obviously soul magic."

Something in Ginny's face must have made it obvious that she didn't know what that meant. As Theo explained, with occasional interjections from Blaise, her expression of confusion shifted to incredulity then disbelief.

"Soulmates? Like, in love forever, that sort of thing? You're pulling my leg."

They were both boys, together. Plus the fact that as Theo had pointed out, there were three of them.

"Let's wait and see. I've read all about it," Blaise said with a shrug. "But we'll know if we get to Hogwarts like we're supposed too. If the day repeats, then we're not and I'll come up with a new theory."

Eventually Ginny invited them both back to the carriage she was in, which was thankfully still empty. Ginny didn't want to get changed, nervously anticipating the day ending until a Gryffindor prefect came in and told her off.

The breaks of the train squealed as it pulled up to Hogsmeade.

"Everybody off the train!"

The three of them looked at each other, wide-eyed. This was new. New things didn't happen.

When Ginny stepped off the train onto the bustling platform, the night sky dark overhead, her heart was pounding in her ears.

"Merlin's beard," she heard Theo say under his breath.

"So it's real?" she asked. She didn't know what to think.

"Look, let's get out of the crowd and to the castle. We'll work it out, whatever it is. Together," Blaise said firmly and he reached out his hand. Ginny grabbed hold of it, Theo taking her other one. They pushed their way through the crowds, holding onto one another. The world was busy, loud and new around them but with her hands held tightly by them, Ginny only felt excitement.

Things were new. Everything was changing. She couldn't wait to find out what adventure was going to happen next.

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 **A/N:**

Hogwarts Assignment #4: Women's History - **Task Ten:** Write about a relationship that might be considered scandalous.

Character Appreciation: House - Gryffindor

Sophie's Shelf: 11. Theo/Blaise

Lo's Lowdown: O1. Theme - found family

Sophie's Tearoom: Chorizo and Manchego Scones - (dialogue) "I'm not a very good kisser."


End file.
